The informant, Richard Bistrong, had agreed to cooperate with the FBI after being caught in a separate foreign bribery probe. He helped the FBI lay a trap for 22 businessmen in the military and defense equipment industry, but new court records show the plan ran into trouble in June 2009.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer takes part in a news conference at the Justice Department in October.

Lanny Breuer, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said arguments that enforcement of the FCPA damaged U.S. business were “exactly upside down.” His comments were a barely concealed rebuke of a recent proposal by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to amend the law.

Thursday’s announcement that Swiss freight forwarder Panalpina World Transport Ltd. and six of its customers reached settlements in a three-year-old foreign bribery investigation wreaked havoc on the top-10 list. Three U.S. companies dropped off, and two foreign companies jumped on.

The SEC singled out foreign officials as ineligible for the program, citing “negative repercussions” for U.S. foreign relations — including encouraging corruption. That’s likely to put a severe curb on eligibility in countries where state ownership lies behind many companies.

Industrial products company Ingersoll-Rand PLC said on Monday that it may have uncovered violations of U.S. foreign bribery law — one day after the company was scheduled to emerge from a court agreement related to its involvement in the United Nation’s “oil for food” scandal.

An Army major from Colorado pleaded guilty to one count of bribery for accepting money and gifts in exchange for preferential treatment in awarding contracts. Roderick D. Sanchez, 45, admitted that during 2004 to 2007 he accepted Rolex watches, cash payments and other things of value totaling more than $200,000 while employed as an army contracting officer.

Julian Messent, the former chief executive of PWS Holdings PLC, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after admitting to making or authorizing almost $2 million in bribes to Costa Rican officials in the state insurance company. Messent was also ordered to pay a GBP100,000 fine to the Costa Rican government within 28 days, and he will receive an additional 12 months in prison if he does not pay.

Julian Messent, the former chief executive of PWS Holdings PLC, a firm founded by the leader of the U.K. Independence Party, admitted in U.K. court to paying “very substantial bribes” in Costa Rica. He is due to be sentenced Tuesday. Prosecutors from the Serious Fraud Office said bribes were paid in 41 installments from 1999 to 2002, and that the money was routed through the wives of Costa Rican officials, through accounts Panama and the U.S. and through a travel agency in Florida.

About Corruption Currents

Corruption Currents, The Wall Street Journal’s corruption blog, digs into the ever-present and ever-changing world of corporate corruption. It is a source of news, analysis and commentary for those who earn a living by finding corruption or by avoiding it. Corruption Currents is written by Christopher. M. Matthews and Sam Rubenfeld and edited by Nick Elliott.

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